grbenamtbe



@eine gisten utmt @fitte r. s. GREENAMYER, or .SMITHVILLe onto.

Letters Patent No. A64,311, lated April 30, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPORTERS.

@tige tlgehnl referrer tu im tlpse ettsrs z-itent mit milking putt nf tige same.

'lU ALL WHOH I'I MAY CONCERN:

Bc it known that I, P. S. GREENAMYER, of Smithville,.in the county of Wayne, and in the State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvement in Combined Thoracical and Abdominal and Shoulder Bracesg and do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, A represents a belt which passes around the waist or around the upper portion of the hips of the subject. C represents a uterine supporter, consisting of a stern with a ring upon its upperend for supporting the uterus, and two curved arms, which pass up the back of the patient to short straps b b, which connect to the belt A. a a are straps, which pass up from the arms ofthe supporter on the front side, and which connect, as seen, to the pad B. 'lhe pad B is provided with buckles for the ends of the belt A, for the straps a a, and for straps I I, which latter straps pass up and connect with crossstraps I .I on the thoraeical pad H. K K are straps which buckle to the back of belt A, and which connect at their upper ends to crosssstraps 0 o, on the back-pad G. D D are straps or Suspenders which pass over the shoulders. The front cndsof these straps are buckled into the upper ends of the cross-straps J J, and the back ends are buckled into the upper ends of straps o o. E represents a strap which connects the two Suspenders l) D together at the back "of the neck. F E' are straps which connect the two sides of each of the Suspenders under the arms. The strap-s are all provided with buckles, by means of which the apparatus can be adjusted to the body of the patient.

One of the uses ot' this brace is to elevate the cervical curve of the spine and enlarge the chest. The cervical curve is raised by applying tension to thc shoulder braces in a downward direction. The muscles that suspend and elevate the shoulders are attached to the cervical vertebrae so as to raise and bring 'them back by making these muscles tense. The muscles that elevate the anterior part of the chest are attached to the breastbone and the anterior part of,the cervical curve, so that when the cervical curve is raised and brought back the :ulterior part ot' the chest lnust rise with it. The forces ot' the tension on the shoulder-braces cross each other on the thoracical pads in such a way as to bring pressure on the sides of the chest, which assist in not only carryingr thc anterior part of the. chest up but forward, thus increasing the antel'o-posterior diameter of the chest. The anterior end of the ribs, having their attachments lower than the posterior, shows how these combined forces are capable o\c enlarging the whole calibre of the chest. The principle of these forces acts similar to a, lever. The anterior part of the chest and cervical curve are the weight, and the thoracic-al pads upon the back and lower part of the chest are the fulcra,- and the tension is the power. The tension and direction of the forces, as connected with the abdominal supporter, acts upon the dorso-lumbar curve so as to bring it forward to agree with the natural shape. and direction of the spine, thus suspending the bowels upon their natural appendages, which relieves the uterine organs of unnatural weight. v

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 'lht` belt A, carrying the uterine supporter C, with its straps and arms, when used in combination with the shoulder-straps D D and their'respective connecting-straps7 all arranged in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of January, 1866.

' P. S. GREENAMYER.

Witnesses:

Jenn C. Mrns, Jenn ZIMMERMAN. 

